Monday, November 25, 2013

This simple, flavorful cauliflower purée makes a healthy Thanksgiving side dish, but I like it all year round (recipe here).

Several years ago I fell in love with kohlrabi purée, and from there I went on to discover a whole delicious world of puréed vegetables. One of the most popular puréed vegetables is cauliflower, which is often called mashed cauliflower.

Recipes for mashed cauliflower abound, calling for everything from chicken stock and Greek yogurt to a stick of butter and a cup of heavy cream. My simple version, which has just 2 Tablespoons of butter and 2 Tablespoons of milk or cream, is low fat, low carb, easy to make, and really hard to stop eating.

You can dress it up in all sorts of ways—with sour cream and dill, cheddar and chives, even lemon juice and baby arugula—or just enjoy it plain.

Mashed cauliflower is usually touted as a low carb substitute for mashed potatoes, especially around Thanksgiving. But this really isn't fair to the cauliflower purée, because it tastes so good it shouldn't be considered a stand-in or alternative to anything.

If you have trouble eating enough fresh vegetables in autumn and winter, try puréeing them. I had no idea it was so easy to devour an entire head of cauliflower.

Friday, November 22, 2013

A healthy vegetable side dish that's nice enough for Thanksgiving, yet easy enough to make for everyday (recipe here).

Hip hip hooray, it's Brussels sprout season! This is a little shout out for my quick and easy, one bowl, one pan, super popular roasted Brussels sprouts recipe. There's no need to cut a little X in each stem or boil them before roasting. You don't even have to turn them while they're cooking. And oh, do they taste good.

I gobbled up two pounds last week (they actually reheat pretty well in the microwave) and have two more pounds of raw sprouts waiting in the fridge.

Toss them with lots of lemon juice and Parmesan or Pecorino, or gussy them up a little with some garbanzos and dijon. If you're lucky enough to have any leftovers (I always double the recipe), try tossing them with some bowtie pasta, crumbled bacon, and pan-fried (in bacon grease) fresh breadcrumbs. Oh my.

Need more convincing? Here's what Farmgirl Fare readers are saying about this recipe:

—I ended up making this last night as the vegetable accompaniment to our meat and it was a great hit! Even my younger brother who is an avid veggie hater ate these up!

—After reading your blog, I put a pan of these little cabbages in the oven last night. They never made it into a bowl. I had to try one, then two...Crunchy outside and butter soft inside.

—I did the "simple" with Orecchiette pasta and lots of parmesan. So savory and perfect! I never thought to cook them at such a high temp, but I loved it. Thanks!

—Just made the "gussied up" version for a mid-morning snack :) My house smells heavenly and I am one happy camper. I stuck a handful of split fingerlings around the edge of the pan that were due to be eaten, and life is indeed good. I am sharing this recipe with everyone who will listen!

—Made these slightly gussied up (no chickpeas) for Thanksgiving to rave reviews. Just delicious. And so easy!!!!!!!!

In anticipation of our first arctic blast—which arrived several weeks earlier than usual—I harvested as much as I could from the kitchen garden on Monday and Tuesday, including a small bag of arugula, a big bag of mixed baby lettuce, a bigger bag of tatsoi, and a several bags of kale.

I see a lot of salads in our future, but on Sunday I dug up several pounds of the best looking Yukon Gold potatoes I've grown in years, so this scrumptious soup is also on the menu. It's hearty and healthy and full of flavor, especially if you use homemade chicken stock, which freezes well and is ridiculously easy to make (instructions on how to make your own chicken stock are included in the soup recipe).

No leeks? Just use onions. No arugula? Try spinach instead. The roasted leeks and potatoes also make a delicious side dish. Snuggle up and enjoy!

Love the peppery bite of arugula? Check out these other Farmgirl Fare arugula recipes: